“Right this way.” My voice was cool, professional. He wasn’t the only one who could be aloof. I pulled the curtain back to enter my room, and as I did, Elodie popped up around the corner, a little French jack-in-the-box.
“Hello!” she said, her voice high and cheery. She scared the hell out of me, and I jumped away from Kael.
“I left before you woke up. I had—” She stopped talking when she saw who was with me.
“Kael? Hello!” She double-kissed his cheeks and I moved out of their way. In fact, I leaned my back against the wall. An appropriate metaphor, I thought.
“Elodie. Hi.”
They talked for a moment, good-natured casual conversation. But when he put his hands on her elbows—a friendly and completely appropriate gesture—I felt a wave of anger swell. That’s when I knew I had completely lost my mind.
“I’m really hungry all the time. I can’t seem to gobble down enough food.” She laughed as she said this. Kael gave her a faint smile, and I found myself secretly pleased that it wasn’t the big smile he’d given me—the one I couldn’t get out of my head. Yep. Mind was lost.
“Well, I’ll see you around,” Elodie said, and made her way back to Mali.
I walked into the room without even looking at Kael. I was usually more polite to clients; I would never turn my back on them. But I did now. Let him follow behind me. Let him feel what it’s like to see someone’s back disappear through a door.